PoP Campaign - Dead Dark - Track By Track Guide

On October 30th, PoP Campaign will release their new album 'Dead Dark with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. Mark from the band talks about the influences behind the record.

PoP Campaign were born out of a frustration at the apathy of modern music. 
PoP have been Inspired by bands such as Orbital and Mogwai; who whilst using very little in the way of vocals, have very clear messages through their music.


The duo have taken their music around the world, from their beginnings in Glasgow, to Scandinavia, the Baltics, Europe, and even as far flung as South Korea and Japan.


'Dead Dark' is their fourth album and it explores the depths of the human psyche and the limits that people are driven to. Having lived in London for the past 3 1/2 years, the band are fascinated by the history of the city and the secrets it must carry within it. They are particularly drawn to the dark side of Victoriana and murky characters like Jack The Ripper. This record is set in the misty landscape of the city they call home. 

Here is a track-by-track breakdown:

'Feart' - A Scottish word meaning scared. Wanted this to be a bitesize piece to start the album. Sounds a bit world music to me now!

'PoP Against Fascism' - The start beat and groove sound like a fascist rally to me. A bit like those ones we have for our royal family during unbearably dull and pointless occasions. A death march with optimism in the synth line that evokes hope against it all.

'Twatting a Tory' - First time we’ve ever used a string sound like that on one of our records. Probably one of the best things we’ve done.

'A Kill’t a Boy' - Repetition, glorious repetition. A wee bit Jean Michel Jarre to these ears.

'VILLIAN' - Thought this sounded like Ricardo Villalobos in its early form, hence the title. Not so much now. Ambience with a dark undercurrent.

'Berlin ’92' - Sounds like an older PoP Campaign tune. Very simple. Along the lines of our first single, 'Schadenfreude'.

'Total and Utter Knightmare' - Introduction to Side Two of the record - high end turned to max. 'Knightmare' (80s kids’ programme on ITV) used to keep me awake at night. Those naïve yet haunting graphics, that medieval presenter with the beard and the gear; gives the shivers just thinking about it.

'Victorian London' - Creepy and haunting, like the seedy backstreets of London in the Victorian era. Danger awaits.

'Glasgow Style' - Tried to get those sounds like the second side of 'Low' and 'Heroes'. All that mad experimentation from Bowie and Eno. Bowieno.

'Dracula Unleashed' - Took a basic, straight sounding gothy track and cut it all up. This is the result. The title is taken from the Mega CD game which terrified me as a child.

'Time Burglar' - An oldie. Probably 6 years old. Found it on my computer by chance and thought it worked perfectly on the album.

'My boyfriend, the depressant' - The cousin of Feart. The circle is complete.

PoP Campaign's website

'Dead Dark' will be available through Touched Music from October 30th





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